Syakirun Niam, Jakarta – Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana is asking ruling Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) Chairperson Megawati Sukarnoputri to pressure the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to immediately arrest fugitive politician Harun Masiku.
According to Ramadhana, this would be better than Megawati proposing that the KPK be dissolved because the anti-graft agency is no longer seen as being effective in eradicating corruption.
Masiku is a former senior PDI-P politician who is currently on the police's Wanted Person's List (DPO). He has been on the run since being declared a suspect for allegedly bribing General Election Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan.
"Instead of talking about dissolving the KPK, it would be better if Bu [Mother] Mega urged the KPK to solve outstanding cases, such as arresting Harun Masiku", said Ramadhana in a press release received by Kompas.com on Tuesday August 22.
Ramadhana said that Megawati should be well aware that the reason for the KPK's poor performance is because of the actions of the political parties themselves.
Because it was the political parties through their lawmakers in the House of Representatives (DPR) that agreed to enact the revisions to the KPK Law and selected the controversial KPK leadership.
Therefore, according to Ramadhana, what is important at the moment is not dissolving the KPK but instead a total revolution. "Meaning a revolution by means of restoring the KPK Law to its original form and totally reshuffling the KPK leadership", said Ramadhana.
Earlier, Megawati admitted to having proposed to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo that the KPK be dissolved.
This was conveyed by Megawati when she appeared as the chairperson of the Pancasila Ideology Board of Trustees (BPIP) on the national police's Tribrata TV show in Jakarta on Monday August 21.
"I've sometimes said to Pak [Mr] Jokowi, 'Enough, just disband the KPK Pak, I don't think it's effective", Megawati said.
Masiku allegedly bribed Setiawan so he would be declared the winner of a bi-election in the South Sumatra I electoral district to replace Nazarudin Kiemas who had died. He is alleged to have then fled overseas.
Recently, the national police's international relations division head (Kadivhubinter), Inspector General Krishna Murti, alleged that Masiku was actually in Indonesia.
He claimed that according to immigration transit data Masiku returned to Indonesia in February 2020 and there is no record of him leaving the country again.
Meanwhile the KPK's acting deputy for prosecution and execution, Asep Guntur Rahayu, revealed that the agency had received information that Masiku had fled overseas through an illicit border crossing. Masiku did not therefore show up on immigration border transit data.
Notes
Kurnia Ramadhana has previously accused the KPK of protecting Harun Masiku saying that the KPK is "reluctant" to arrest him because there are strong indications that if he is caught he is likely to implicate other senior political party elite members in the case. "If Masiku is arrested, said Ramadhana, the case could drag down top politicians. Our suspicion is, the KPK wants to protect these [political] party elite", Ramadhana told Kompas.com on August 7.
- See News that ruling party fugitive in Indonesia evidence KPK's protecting him: ICW. Kompas.com – August 7, 2023
[Translated by James Balowski. The original title of the article was "ICW Minta Megawati Desak KPK Tangkap Harun Masiku Ketimbang Usul Dibubarkan".]
